ML Designs 
Project Goal
The goal of this project was to create a clay relief sculpture based on something personally meaningful. With no specific subject or concept required, I chose to create a portrait of my late grandfather using a photograph that holds significant meaning to me.
Rather than creating a purely decorative piece, I wanted the project to serve as a physical connection to someone who has had an important impact on my life. The photograph I selected gave me both a meaningful reference and a way to preserve a memory through a new medium.
Although I had never created a portrait out of clay before, I knew this was a project I wanted to approach with care and intention. The personal significance of the subject pushed me to challenge myself technically and focus on creating a portrait that felt authentic to the person and the memory behind it.
After Glaze
Design Challenge and Learning Experience
The biggest challenge came during the glazing process. Before the piece was glazed, the portrait had the definition and clarity I had envisioned. However, once the glaze was applied, some of the details became less defined, making the portrait more difficult to read than I had intended.
Although the final result did not turn out exactly as I had hoped, the experience taught me an important lesson about experimentation, process, and accepting unexpected outcomes. Working with an unfamiliar medium pushed me beyond what I already knew I could do and showed me that taking creative risks is part of the learning process.